The Tennessee Municipal League elected the 2022-2023 board of directors during its annual business meeting recently held in Gatlinburg. Henderson Mayor Bobby King was elected president.
King is the first Southwest Tennessee Mayor outside of Shelby County and Madison County to hold the position.
He mentioned that being president of the TML is his way of leaving his mayoral career with a great milestone. King said that he does not plan on running for re-election after this term.
“This is cultivating my career. I only have a couple years left as mayor and this is a great honor to be able to finish up my career,” he said.
As president of the League, King will lead the organization as it determines and proposes legislation cities want passed into law. He also plays a role with the National League of Cities, which represents municipalities with Congress and the federal administration.
"TML has been very instrumental in supporting legislation for cities of all sizes. Large and small communities across the state are looking for similar solutions to local problems," said King. "As president, I will work hard to accomplish the League's goals and legislative priorities."
Mayor King expressed some of the goals he has while he is the TML President.
The first goal he mentioned is to get the cities of Tennessee to receive their fair share of the Tennessee sales tax.
Other board elections include two vice presidents: Ron Williams, First Vice President and Farragut Mayor; and Paige Brown, TML Second Vice President and Gallatin Mayor. TML vice presidents are traditionally in line to serve as president.
The TML board also includes mayors of Tennessee's largest cities, eight district directors and four at-large directors.
The four urban mayors are: Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, and Metro Nashville Mayor John Cooper.
The eight district directors, representing their section of the state, were nominated and elected during district caucuses. They are: District 1: Darrell Duncan, Kingsport alderman; District 2: David Smoak, Farragut city administrator, District 3: Chris Dorsey, East Ridge city manager; District 4: Keith Morrison, Algood city administrator; District 5: Ann Schneider, Springfield mayor; District 6: Blake Lay, Lawrenceburg mayor; District 7: Mike French, Somerville alderman; and District 8: Bethany Huffman, Millington Alderwoman.
The four at-large directors were nominated by a five-member nominating committee composed of municipal officials statewide. They were then elected for a one-year term by a majority vote of the entire membership. Those directors are: Kevin Brooks, Cleveland mayor; Roland Dykes, Newport mayor; Julian McTizic, Bolivar mayor; and Kirk Bednar, Brentwood city manager.
Kay Senter, Morristown councilmember and chairman of the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund also sits on the board. And a representative from an affiliate organization is also voting board member, Tim Ellis, Goodlettsville city manager and president of the Tennessee City Management Association.
